What does “healthy eating” mean exactly? You may think that you are getting enough minerals, vitamins and proteins (especially the essential omega-3s). There are also other factors that are not as obvious. These include prebiotics, and as this post will discuss, antioxidants.
Antioxidants, as I mentioned before, protect the body against damage caused by radicals. These unstable substances slam about, stealing electrons from molecules and causing DNA damage. Free radicals can cause chronic diseases and premature aging if they are not controlled.
The antioxidants function is to neutralize free radicals if they become too numerous. Plant and animal foods contain antioxidants, minerals, flavonoids and carotenoids that your body cannot produce. We’ve put together a list to ensure you get all the antioxidants you need because free radicals are inevitable.
How do you measure the antioxidant levels in foods?
Several antioxidants can be quantified fairly easily. You can use any food tracking app in order to calculate how much antioxidant vitamin C, A, and E you consume each day.
Some antioxidant enzymes such as antioxidants can be more complex. Scientists have devised a number of ways to measure the antioxidant strength of foods. There are many tests you can use to determine the antioxidant power of a food. These include the crocin-bleaching test (CBA), trolox’s equal antioxidant capacity (TEAC), total oxyradical scavenging capability (TOSC), ferric reduced antioxidant capacitiy (FRAP) for DPPH, and a whole host more. 1 Do not worry about the exam.
ORAC is the most popular antioxidant index. ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorption capacity. It was created by scientists from the National Institute on Aging back in 1992. ORAC, despite its popularity, was not approved by the USDA. The USDA discontinued using ORAC in 2012. This is because ORAC doesn’t necessarily reflect the amount of antioxidant activity occurring within the body.
Researchers are adamant that ORAC is the best way to determine whether a food contains high antioxidant levels or not. It’s also the best method for the general public to know which foods have a higher antioxidant level. But don’t get sucked into the numbers. It is up for debate whether or not these foods can boost your body’s capacity to fight free radicals. The amount of these substances that you eat and the freshness in which the food is consumed could all play a part.
I believe that the primary reason for thinking about antioxidants is to be tempted to eat some healthy foods you might not have eaten before. Foods that score high in antioxidants are those that are considered healthy by other standards. These include vibrant fruits and veggies, seafood, organ meats and other fish.
Superfood List: High Antioxidant Foods
Antioxidant-rich plant foods
Plant foods tend to be more antioxidant-rich than animal foods, despite the fact that both are important in terms of checking off antioxidant boxes. Eating the rainbow will give you a variety of vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants. You can add foods high in antioxidants to your diet.
These 12 plant-based foods and beverages will help you increase your antioxidant intake (based on a combination of ORAC and FRAP ratings):
Berries
Coffee
Chocolate (the darker the better)
Chia seeds
Artichokes
Plums and Prunes
Pistachios
Pomegranate
FIGS
Kalamata olives
Kale
Green Tea
Include dog roseberries and rowanberries if you have them in your area.
Animal foods rich in antioxidants
The antioxidant capacity of these foods is lower in absolute terms than the group of plant foods above. These animals are a good source of healthy minerals such as iron, selenium and zinc as well as antioxidants like lutein, which are essential components of the antioxidant defense of the body.
Liver
Oysters
Salmon
Crab
Lamb
Beef
Eggs
Mussels
Tuna
Sardines